


tongues on the sockets of electric dreams

by bloomings



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, First Meetings, M/M, kinda lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-11-12 17:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18015500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloomings/pseuds/bloomings
Summary: The blue and pink color blocking on the box are too bright, obnoxiously cute.He doesn’t remember ordering anything, and definitely not something so big.  Hwanwoong checks the address again, no return sender, but it’s his name printed neatly on the side, Yeo Hwanwoong.He sighs as he opens the door, turning to look at the box again and begins to pull it inside.





	tongues on the sockets of electric dreams

**Author's Note:**

> for a prompt from my cc: 
> 
> a keonhee/hwanwoong scifi au

Hwanwoong isn’t really sure what to expect when he walks down the hallway.  

There’s a long box leaning against his apartment door.  Embarrassingly taller than him, Hwanwoong looks around as if he’ll be able to see who left it behind.

The blue and pink color blocking on the box are too bright, obnoxiously cute.  

He doesn’t remember ordering anything, and definitely not something so big.  Hwanwoong checks the address again, no return sender, but it’s his name printed neatly on the side,  _ Yeo Hwanwoong. _

He sighs as he opens the door, turning to look at the box again and begins to pull it inside.

He considers stalling.  Maybe getting a drink of water, or making dinner.

Hwanwoong has a half formed idea that he’s not going to like whatever has been shipped to him.  But as he takes deep breaths from his exertion he reaches for a knife. 

Hwanwoong drags the box into the living room, pushes it down until what he assumes is the right side up is facing the ceiling.

The knife cuts neatly against the clear tape, Hwanwoong drops on his knees as he pushes the flaps away, even more confused when there’s only the shiny fake silk fabric for him to see.  A soft blush pink, iridescent. He stops, wonders what must be underneath the imitation silk.

He’s nervous, he realizes, when his stomach starts to feel in knots and he can feel something like vile rising up his throat.

But he’s not sure why.

He takes in a stuttering breath, fingers reaching to move the cloth away.

He bites his tongue trying not to scream.

The thing, _the person_ , inside has his eyes closed.  Something sinks in Hwanwoong’s stomach as he keeps peeling away the cloth, throwing it aside as he sees a stack of papers tucked between the box and one of the boy’s legs.

He reaches for them, more or less because paper right now seems a lot less unknown than whatever has been delivered to Hwanwoong.

The pink font is printed right on the center, glossy and in a pretty script.

_ Say hello to your very own _

_ HEARTbot! _

Of course Hwanwoong knows what  _that_ is.  

The denial that has been desperately trying to take over has no place to hide once he reads the bolded words.

He flips to the first page, reads the first two sentences.

_ Hello and thank you for purchasing your very own customizable HEARTbot!   _

_ Inside we have included the questionnaire you have filled out with all the preferences and characteristics you desired for your bot. _

Except Hwanwoong hadn’t filled out any questionnaire, hadn’t even _looked up_ heartbot, shown any interest in one.

The questionnaire falls away from between the pages of the manual he is holding, Hwanwoong watches it fall before he picks it up, unfolding it.

His eyes land on a random question,

_ I like people who? _

_ Are energetic and happy and give a lot of affection. _

That sounds suspiciously like someone he knows.

He picks up his phone, forgotten on the carpet, clicks on a name and presses the dial button.

“ _Hey_ ,” the voice coming from his phone is way too at peace, softly cheerful like always.

“Why did you get me a robot?” Hwanwoong asks, forgoing a hello.

“ _It’s a_ HEARTbot,” Youngjo corrects him, “ _and it’s for your birthday!_ ” a pause, “ _Happy birthday by the way._ ”

“My birthday isn’t until August,” Hwanwoong’s voice is eerily calm.

“ _I know_ ,” Youngjo says, “ _I thought it was going to get in later_ ,” he clears his throat, obviously nervous, “since it’s fully _customizable_.”

“None of your answers are answers that I like,” Hwanwoong cuts in, looking at the pages of the questionnaire, “why did you make it 181 cm tall?”

Youngjo laughs, Hwanwoong swears he’s about to discover a way to be able to hurt people through the phone.

“ _To help you reach things that are too high up, of course_ ,” Youngjo teases, “ _and to keep you safe._ ”

“I don’t need that,” Hwanwoong is trying extremely hard to keep himself from unleashing his wrath.

_“It’s a gift_ ,” Youngjo answers, repeats, “ _and it was very expensive_.”

Hwanwoong doesn’t say anything to that, brain trying to make _any_ sense of the situation.

“ _Besides_ ,” Hwanwoong knows that if Youngjo was in front of him, he would be smiling at him, his wide, easy smile, “ _you’re lonely and I think this can help_.”

He’s using his _hyung_ voice, the one that goes soft around the edges but still somehow manages to hold some bite to it.

Hwanwoong still doesn’t answer.

“ _Just turn him on_ ,” Youngjo coaxes, “ _I’m sure it won’t be too bad_.”

-

Hwanwoong manages to maneuver the bot into a sitting position on his couch.  

With his eyes close Hwanwoong notices how long his eyelashes are and he wonders briefly if that was part of the customization.

He’s read the card with the bots specifications.  Youngjo named it Keonhee, he’s 181 cm tall and is the same age as Hwanwoong.  The birthday listed is the same as his home delivery date, July 27. 

The card also says Keonhee loves to eat food and likes playing the piano and singing.

Hwanwoong reads enough of the manual to know how to turn the bot on, finding the power button behind a panel on his neck.

His finger hovers over it for ages, Hwanwoong wondering whether or not it really would be a good idea to turn the bot on.  

His holds his breath and jabs a bit too forceful against the button.  It lights up, first red, then yellow and finally green. He hastily closes the small panel, turns his body around just in time to watch the bot open his eyes, eyelashes fluttering slowly.  There’s a faint whirring sound but by the time his eyes are open it fades away and Hwanwoong finds himself face to face with his decision.

“Hello,” the bot says, voice smooth, not at all artificial like how Hwanwoong had expected.

“I am Keonhee,” the bot continues, “and I am your HEARTbot.  What is your name?”

Hwanwoong had read enough to know this was just a question to confirm the name of the buyer.  Keonhee had been pre-loaded with any information that Hwanwoong ( _ or Youngjo _ ) had given of himself.

“Hwanwoong,” he says softly, faintly, “Yeo Hwanwoong.”

“Nice you meet you, _Hwanwoong_ ,” Keonhee says, turning to look at him fully, the corners of his lips turning up  _ cutely _ , “let’s be really good friends!”

Hwanwoong leans away, doesn’t say anything, Keonhee blinks at him and speaks again.

“What day is it today?” he asks.

“It’s your birthday,” Hwanwoong’s voice is too soft, he knows it.

“July 27,” Keonhee corrects.  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> this was written as a prompt fill ! thank you so much for leaving a prompt for me i really appreciate it !
> 
> find me/talk to me about this fic or other fics or give me ideas/prompts/talk to me about onewe and oneus (if you wanna) on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/bIoomingly) / [cc](https://curiouscat.me/bloomings)
> 
> thanks for supporting my journey to write more fic for these two fandoms lol


End file.
